


Together, to be

by writing2savelives



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Ben was a cuddler?, Broken people, Confusion, F/M, Fluff, Force Bond, Force dreams, Healing, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Kylo is kinda a jerk, Leia is a boss ass mom, Persuasive Kylo Ren, Scars, Slow Burn, Smut, but we love him anyway, force time, has arrived
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-21 06:01:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10679184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing2savelives/pseuds/writing2savelives
Summary: It was a mistake, she didn’t mean to but as her mind stretched out of her body, across the galaxy, she touched him. Immediately she felt him wrap around her, holding onto the strand that had brushed his mind and intertwining it with his.~A bond: something that binds; unites; connects; or holds together.





	1. You Said You Don't Have to Speak

**Author's Note:**

> "You said you don't have to speak"  
> -The XX, Together

Luke Skywalker was not merciful in his training. He pushed Rey further than she knew was possible but she strived under his guidance.

Rey knew that Kylo Ren was tracking her. She knew he was searching, tearing the galaxy apart to find her but she couldn’t understand why. When she asked her Master he said only: “Put it out of your mind, child. Peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony. That’s all you should feel.” She tried not to show her frustration on her face but doubted it worked.

Why did he want _her_? What was she to _him_?

It had been nearly six months since she had arrived on Ach-To, Master Luke told her she was excelling greatly and she believed him. Everything felt natural for Rey, the weight of the lightsaber in her hands, the calm escape of meditation. There was only one problem that came to her on the sixth month of her training when she was meditating; reaching out through The Force.

It was a mistake, she didn’t mean to but as her mind stretched out of her body, across the galaxy, she touched him. Immediately she felt him wrap around her, holding onto the strand that had brushed his mind and intertwining it with his. She retreated as fast as she could but it hurt, oh, so badly. That terrified her.  She was panting and sweating when she returned to her body, a sick guilt coiled up inside her for as his mind attached to hers, she felt complete. Her psyche had missed him.

She was too ashamed to tell her Master, to face him, so she went to her bed. She reached inside herself, tried to will herself to sleep. Surprisingly it worked and she fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately, he was waiting for her.

This place, whatever it was, was all light. Bright and surrounding her, she felt at home until a shadow appeared in her periphery and she was filled with rage all at once.

She stormed to Kylo Ren, descending into his darkness as she went. He had that stupid mask on and simply tilted his head to the side and she was annoyed to feel a smirk press into her mind. She shoved him with all her might but he caught her wrists and pulled her to him, into his darkness and layers of black clothing. She fought out of his grip and distanced herself from him.

“What have you done?” she cried at him.

“I didn’t do anything,” he replied in his filtered voice. “This was all you.”

She growled in disagreement. “Undo it. Now.”

“This is as new to me as it is to you. Besides, even if I knew how I wouldn’t undo this…this gift.”

“This isn’t a gift, it’s a curse,” she grunted.

“Maybe for you,” and she felt that smirk press against her again.

“Stop that!”

“Stop what?” She felt a feeling of smugness wash over her. She clawed at her scalp as if she could gouge him out of her brain.

“So,” he stepped closer to her, entering her light slightly and their tones melded into a deep grey. “Where are you hiding?”

The next two months were spent mostly trying to decipher her and Kylo Ren’s connection, while she balanced her training, meditation and consistent lie to Master Skywalker that everything was “normal”.

She tried to fend off the strands of him that reached out to attach to her more but she was no match for his non-stop persistence. Their…bond, Force she didn’t like that word, grew more intense every day. When her training droid managed a hit at her, he felt the sting on his arm. When his stomach growled in hunger, she felt it. When he grew angry, mostly from his failure at finding her, she struggled to push down the itchy anger that tickled her.

Every night he found her, despite all her efforts to push him out. That was why when he did not appear one night she knew something was wrong. After telling her Master, they got word from Chewbacca that there had been an attack on the main Resistance Base. She did not hesitate to board the Falcon with the Wookie. The older Jedi could not accompany her for it was still too dangerous for him to return.

“Peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony,” Master Skywalker repeated to her. She nodded in understanding and clipped the blue sword to her belt.

She felt him at once and because of that she knew he felt her too. She pushed down the feeling of fear that threatened to climb its way up her throat and led him into the thick forest, away from the main attack where she could distract him one on one.

Once a fair distance away she stopped and waited and tried to calm her beating heart. She found herself wondering what he wore to this battle. _Did he wear his cowl or cape? Was he wearing the black belt with a silver or black buckle?_ Most pressing, _was he hiding his face with that God awful mask?_

“Miss me?” The familiar filtered voice questioned. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she missed his Force signature nearing. Luke would be disappointed.

“To hell with that bastard, it’s just you and me now.” His words sounded very familiar to their first battle but what worried her more was that he read her mind, her thoughts!

“Well let’s fix this little problem now, how bout we? I’ve had enough of you for a lifetime.” She teased him.

He snarled and ignited his saber. They both lunged at each other, swords clashing. She took the place of offense, swiping down in a large arc, he blocked easily, twirling her blade away and she stumbled to catch her footing. He took the opportunity to swing at her from the side and she ducked using her smaller size to her advantage, she swung her blue blade across his legs near his shins and singed a large piece of his robes off.

He growled, went to strike her back but she rolled away and got back to her feet. He whirled towards her as she swung at his face. He was too late and the hot saber sliced into his disgusting helmet. Growling, he released the head piece and discarded it violently to the side. Her breath caught at his raw and handsome features.

He raised an eyebrow, “Like what you see, scavenger?”

“You disgust me,” she spat back.

“Your thoughts tell me otherwise. ‘ _Raw, handsome, pale, strangely beautiful_ ’, you can’t hide anything from me, Rey.” She hated the way her name on his lips sparked something inside her.

“It’s called desire, Rey.” He walked swiftly to her as she fought back distracting thoughts of his body, trying to focus on the battle.

They sparred back and forth, chasing each other through the forest as the sun rose. He was bathed in red light, from his crackling weapon and the brilliant rising sun behind him. She faltered and he swiped at her, catching her on the ribs just slightly. It stung and she grabbed the wound, breathing strength into it. Looking up she saw that he was also doubled over in pain, grabbing the same spot he had struck her on himself.

“We’re one and the same, Rey, can’t you see that?” He made to touch her but she raised her lightsaber just as he almost reached her and he met her attack twirling her blade away from him, she tried again to attack but he blocked her attempts easily, deflecting them to the side and forcing her to walk backward away from his looming presence. He’d gotten better since their last fight, with eight more months of training and the absence of the crippling wound Chewie had inflicted on his side. She grew breathless as he stalked her. Her burn pulsed with pain and her body ached at her to give up. _Just let go, give in to him._ She was startled by her thoughts before looking up at his ever-persistent smirk and she realized that he had planted his own wishes into her mind.

“Get out of my head!”

“I could say the same to you.” He snarled at her. “Do you have any idea how distracting you are? Your thoughts jump around like little kids hyper off violet honey! It’s infuriating!”

“Well then fix it!”

“Don’t you have any idea how a Force Bond works? You can’t just sever it!” He shouted at her and she flinched. What the hell was a Force Bond? “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me,” he sighed.

She felt embarrassment prick her senses followed by anger. She lunged out at him, drawing on that anger to fuel her attack. They engaged in intense battle once more. She managed a slash on his arm, ignoring the pain it brought to her. When he swung his blade in a figure eight she couldn’t block him and his red blade burned away the skin on her left shoulder and right thigh. She cried out and lost her balance, stumbling forward. He caught her effortlessly against his chest and she hated how hard and strong he felt under her.

“Let go,” she pleaded, despising her pathetic voice.

“Never,” he whispered into her ear. She knew touching him was a big mistake. The Force seemed to crackle between them as he crushed her to his chest. They breathed one breath together and she knew it was all over. They were so close their noses brushed against each other in the most intimate way. He was staring at her lips and leaning forward…

And then the bright lights of the Millennium Falcon appeared.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to write more so let me know if this interests you<3


	2. I Can Hear You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title from "Together, To Be" by The XX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowza that took awhile. I'm so sorry for the wait, please don't hate me, sometimes the juice just doesn't flow. I really want to continue this story though so hopefully you'll forgive me and follow along. Also, I seem to like cliff hangers...sorry not sorry!

Shocked out of her entrancement in the arms of the enemy, Rey ignited her sword and brought it to point at his throat faster than he could react. He made a grunt of annoyance but didn’t press forward. In her periphery she could see the Falcon lowering its boarding ramp. 

“Rey…” His voice held warning, deep and rumbling. “Don’t do this. You know where you belong. You-.”

“Shut up!” She cut him off. “I belong as far away from you as possible. I  _ belong  _ with The Resistance!” She felt him draw his anger into himself; pull from the channel of wrath, but before he could act, she put him to sleep the way he had to her all those months ago on Takodana. Except she didn’t catch him. 

With that, she sprinted and jumped onto the lowered ramp, just making it on. Her wounds screamed at her and she nearly slid off the ledge when someone caught her wrist. She writhed in pain when the person pulled her slowly back into the ship, almost yanking her arm out of its socket. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” they whispered. “Poe! A little help, please!”  _ Finn _ . She recognized that voice. 

The two strong boys helped her into a makeshift bed on the Falcon while her eyes took in the scene around her. Tens-maybe a hundred people were aboard the ship. Countless injured, mostly burn wounds from blaster shots, were laid about while others rushed around to help. She saw Leia among them, and Jessika, the pilot she met before heading to Ahch-To. She was being tended to for what seemed to be some kind of head wound, her right ear missing. 

She gagged at the sight around her, the smell of burnt flesh and ash choking her throat. All the evil destruction, at the hands of the one and only First Order, and to think that her lips almost met the very embodiment of cruel--her stomach protested and she vomited into a nearby bucket already filled with other people’s puke. 

Time seemed to become irrelevant in the moments to come. She lost all sense of gravity, her vision fogged and her head pounded. She could recall later falling into the arms of Finn, her shirt being torn off to inspect her wounds, and Leia. There, brushing away the sweat and stray hairs from her forehead. Despite all the commotion, all the chaos and people who needed care more than she did, Leia was at her side. The girl who’d never had any companion, let alone hope that they would be there to comfort her in times of weakness. 

But then she thought that maybe Leia was only there because Rey was the closest to her son she had been in years. Surely Leia was Force-sensitive, maybe she felt the lingering signature of her son on Rey. Or maybe Kylo Ren was right, maybe it wasn’t the lingering signature Leia sensed but the ever-present connection between them that had been forged months ago.

As if called upon, she felt Kylo resurface from the slumber she had imposed. His anger burned and pulsed so hot, the world around her fell away completely. 

“Shh, it’s alright.” The rough woolen material of his overcoat scratched the exposed skin of her back. They were rocking,  _ back and forth _ ,  _ back and forth _ , to the crash of salt waves at their tangled feet. She couldn’t  bring herself to pull away,  nor did she wish to turn and face him. For now, the strong muscles of his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, was comforting. So, she buried her head further into the cave of his arm pit, drew her knees up and hugged her torso. She let him hold her weight as she sobbed, the salt that she tasted on her tongue matching that of the frigid ocean. 

“Why?” She cried in a whisper. She couldn’t understand why, of all people, she had to be linked to Kylo Ren. If they weren’t connected, he would not of heard the tiny question. But they were and her query brushed against his psyche.

He pressed his head into her more. His cheek lay rest on hers, his damp hair tickled her temple. “I do not fully know, but I know that we’re meant to be more than enemies, Rey.” 

She sighed deeply and their chests moved together, his expanding into her back and pressing her more tightly into his arms. Her tears finally let up, slightly. “I hate you.”

“I know,” was his only reply. The deep timbre of his voice echoed through the hollow of her chest and she took the moment to open her eyes and assess their surroundings. Everything was grey. Never-ending water, damp, jagged rocks, thick mist that clung to the air and would’ve felt overwhelming if not for the barrier of Kylo around her. The light didn’t seem to shine from a particular spot, it merely was. The darkness of his aura and the light of hers, which was the only known backdrop to these strange meetings in the In Between, was now replaced by the scene before her and she had to admit, she liked it much better than the usual mush of colour. She could get used to this, if these meetings were to continue that was, as they seemed to be.

“Rey?” A familiar voice that didn’t belong to either of them, entered their shared space, ringing in her mind. She sat straight up, brushing off Kylo’s arms that tightened around her with less intent of comfort and more to keep her within them, with him.

“Luke?” Her voice rang out, loud but muffled by the thick air. It bounced off the rocks and plunged into the sea.

“Rey, come back.” 

“...” This time when she tried to speak, something caught the words in her throat, preventing them from making an actual sound. It felt as if a fist held her words and would not release them. She choked on the effort and tears returned to her eyes, both from effort and desperation. She needed to get out of here, out of his...grasp.

With realization she whirled around on him. His eyes burned with intensity that would’ve scared the breath out of her had she had any.  _ Ben, please. _ She pushed the words into his mind. Too late she realized her wrong choice of words. 

“Sorry little scavenger, I am not Ben.” Her eyes widen and he pulls her against his chest, trapping her. Covered in only her breast wrap is at the bottom of her worries when she catches his intent. He doesn’t plan on letting her leave this place without a fight. Too exhausted from their earlier battle, she tries to reach out to Luke again for help but her attempt fares worse than a failed X-wing takeoff. He’s trapped her in more ways than one.

She can’t breathe with her words of help choked in her throat. They burn her esophagus and she dry heaves. The pressure grows and grows, getting worse and worse until her vision darkens. 

“Rey,” Luke calls again. Darker and darker and darker until, “Rey, open your eyes.” Bolting upright at the sound of Luke’s voice right beside her, she nearly topples off the medical bed. 

The eyes of Master and Padawan meet and in that one look, she knows. She sees the horror behind his eyes.

He knows. He knows everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me, see you again<3


	3. I Can Feel All The Things You've Ever Felt Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life with the Resistance...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Wow, what's this?" you ask.   
> "It's a wild update, in its long lost habitat!" I reply.
> 
> Anyway, here is 2,400 words of fluff and angst to make up for the looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time I've been away.

Poe and Rey met at Finn’s infirmary bed. He looked peaceful, as she tried to ignore the several dozen tubes sticking out of his chocolate skin. When Poe, the daredevil resistance pilot, showed up she was weary. She narrowed her eyes and clutched Finn’s hand harder. 

“You must be Rey.” His charming voice annoyed her.

“And?” she replied hotly as she tried to wipe the tear tracks off her cheeks.

“I’m Poe Dameron and I just--I just,” he stumbled over his words and she found her resolve crumbling slightly. “I wanted to thank you for saving his life, on Jakku, I mean, when I couldn’t.”

Despite her suspicious nature, Poe grew on her quickly during the week before she headed to train with Luke Skywalker. They spent so much time together that she found herself thinking of him as another friend-- _ another friend!  _ Friends were a mystery to her before only a few days earlier. Now she was proud to say she had two. Three, counting Chewbacca who gave the galaxy’s best hugs. Four, after she helped Jessika repair her X-Wing. Five, when she cried on General Leia’s shoulder.

When she left with the great wookie to find Luke Skywalker, a crowd gathered to watch her go. She kissed Finn’s forehead, he still lay calm in his medical bed. She hugged Poe tightly and held back tears before the General. As they took off, she marveled at the gathering on the ground, feeling more love than she ever knew there existed in all the galaxy.

To think that nearly two thirds of that crowd now lay cold and dead on the D’Qar resistance base made her sick with sadness. 

Luke left as soon as he pulled her from the in-between she had been locked in with Kylo Ren. As Master and Padawan, an understanding that there would be a long discussion after she recovered, passed between them wordlessly. 

Now, she lay sandwiched between her boys.  _ Her  _ Finn and  _ her  _ Poe. She was  _ their  _ Rey. 

Poe had a muscular arm wrapped around her middle, knees curved into her own, lips pressed to her shoulder. Finn’s leg draped over hers and Poe’s, his right arm cushioned her head, his left hand squeezed both of hers affectionately. She tucked her head under Finn’s chin and cried like a baby. 

Her boys held her through the sobbing, through the shaking, through the violent shivers that had nothing to do with the temperature. She mourned the death of her many comrades, it didn’t matter if she knew their names or not, they were fighting for the same cause, only they had died doing it while she was left with the ghost of the enemy’s lips whispered against her own.

Her saber burns were nothing compared to the overwhelming guilt crushing her chest and collapsing her shoulders. She was glad her friends weren’t Force-sensitive. It was bad enough that she was going to have to explain her connection with Kylo Ren to his uncle, she couldn’t bare to do it to the people he had tortured. 

When the crying eased, her rivers dried up for the time being, her boys squeezed her tight and then told her a story to help her sleep but she refused. Sleep would only force her to face the demon inside her head. So, they talked.

Amidst the chaos of attack and the aftermath, she hadn’t taken a moment to actually appreciate the presence of Finn. While on Ach-To, Luke had ordered she not search out contact with the resistance so she had never known if he had even woken up. 

“Finn,” she croaked, voice cracking with disuse and strain.

“Yes, Peanut. I’m here,”  he soothed her, tightening his grip on her hands and untucking her from his chin.

“Peanut?” Poe asked from behind her, breathing against her neck and displacing the hairs that lay there.

Finn smiled at him over her head, and then at her. His white teeth glinted in the horrible florescent light of the med bay. “Yes, Peanut. She’s my little peanut. Cute and nutty.” 

And despite the depressing situation they found themselves in at the moment, all three friends laughed. 

Poe calmed first, saying, “I think you’re the nutty one, Finn,” which prompted another bout of laughter. How they had all squeezed onto a single bed was a mystery and now a hazard as they shook with laughter, clinging to each other desperately. 

Slowly their smiles faded and they calmed to stillness. A sobering silence settled over them. Rey burrowed again into Finn’s warmth and squeezed Poe’s hand around her waist. 

And then  _ he  _ was awake. He was furious. His anger was a typhoon, destroying everything in its path. She felt his unstable lightsaber slicing through white and black armour as if she was holding the blade. Shuddering, she tried to build a wall between their minds. Focusing on placing one imaginary brick on top of another, she lost track of time. 

“Rey.” The low, sandy voice of the General pulled her back to the present. Finn and Poe were snoring around her and she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, exhausted and defeated. 

“General?” She fought against her boys’ vice-like grip, lifting her head and making eye contact with Leia. “H-how can I help you?” She stumbled on her words; tired to the bone. She could still feel Kylo’s fury, but less intensely, the mental wall acting like a buffer. It helped that he was distracted and not focused on connecting to Rey.

“No, no. I’m here to help you, Rey. Would you like to take a shower?” Leia moved over to help her disentangle and climb down from the bed.

“I--I, that would be a dream.” She replied. The thought of warm water soothing her muscles sounded like heaven. When her feet hit the ground though, she fell forward, wounds screaming and legs jello.

“Whoa, take it easy,” Leia caught her. The five foot one woman took all of Rey’s weight. “Breathe. I’m going to help you but you need to focus on walking. Feel the ground beneath your feet, your knees strong, your thighs flexing--good that’s it.” Leia pet Rey’s hair and gave her a smile like she was her daughter and Rey’s heart melted to a puddle at her feet.

The two women moved painfully slowly to the med bay’s ‘fresher. A nurse came over and applied another coat of bacta gel to her burns, then covered them with a plastic coating that stuck to her skin and would keep the wounds dry while she showered. 

They both undressed and stepped under the water. She was apprehensive at first, insisting that she could wash herself. The thought of baring her body to  _ the General  _ spiked her nerves but Leia held fast. Rey understood where Kylo got his stubbornness. She gave in when Leia undressed first.

“Your body isn’t something you should be ashamed of, Rey.” Rey ducked her head, a blush colouring her cheeks. “You’re beautiful, Rey. Everyone has scars.” 

The water was scalding on her shivering flesh but soon she adjusted and relished in the steam, breathing deeply. Thankfully there was a stool that Rey could rest upon while Leia washed her body. The feel of gentle fingers massaging her scalp was quite possibly the best feeling Rey had  _ ever  _ experienced.

“Do you have any scars?” Rey blurted out, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth and turned to apologize instantly. “I’m so sorry, I--.”

“It’s ok, Rey.” She encouraged her to face forward again and continued to wash the suds out of her shoulder length hair. “As a princess, people were afraid to touch me, I had bodyguards around me at all times. When I met Han, he wasn’t afraid to touch me. He wasn’t afraid he would break me and I loved him for that, among other reasons.” She paused her washing, taking a moment of silence to mourn her husband. Rey waited patiently for her to continue. “My first large scar was when I birthed Ben.” Something inside Rey stirred at the mention of Kylo’s given name, as if opening another ear to take in her words fully. “He didn’t want to come out of my belly, the little cuddler,” she chuckled, remembering a time Rey couldn’t see. Kylo Ren, a cuddler? It didn’t seem to fit. “So, the doctors cut him out of me and I bare that scar with pride. It reminds me that my son, my little Ben, is out there somewhere, no matter the name he goes by.”

“Oh,” was all Rey got out before an intense pain shot through her skull. 

_ Her son is gone! Foolish old woman!  _

Kylo’s words boomed like thunder in her mind. He wasn’t gentle like they usually conversed, wasn’t careful to place the thoughts into her brain. His voice ripped through her and she fell forward hard on her knees, teeth clacking she tasted copper in her mouth.

_ I will show her just how little her Ben is now! I will attack again and next time, she’ll be my target! _

Rey wasn’t sure if he meant to be broadcasting his thoughts so loudly to her or if his rage was so out of control that sanity had finally left him. Distantly, she felt her wet body being wrapped in blankets and a prick in the crook of her elbow.

_ Kylo...stop, please. It hurts--everything hurts. _

“Rey! Rey? Wake up sweetie, now is not the time for sleep, c’mon.” The General’s voice? “Force dammit someone find Luke!”

_ Well, isn’t this a pleasant development in our bond? Communication across the galaxy, splendid.  _ He was smug in her mind, anger melting away to cockiness.  _ So, my scavenger, where are they hiding you now? _

The pain of his thoughts lessened with his dissipating anger, but she hissed at him when he called her his.  _ Get out of my head! _

_ Why would I, you deserve to be punished after that stunt you pulled on D’Qar.  _

She felt an edge of pain return to her and frantically she cried,  _ No, no, please! Ky-Kylo stop. I can’t take it right now. _

_ Oh, but you’re so fun to tease, scavenger. Tell me where you are and maybe--. _

“Rey, my Padawan, return to me,” Master Skywalker called to her and the pull was stronger than the grip Kylo had on her. She could hear his voice in her ears and in her mind, overwhelming her senses so much she came racing back to her bed in the med bay, leaving Kylo to rage across the galaxy.

She sat bolt straight in bed, eyes wide, heart racing, chest heaving. 

Poe, Finn, Leia, a nurse and Luke stood around her. 

“I think it’s time I talk to Rey,” Luke told the small crowd. Nobody moved. “ _ Alone _ .” The nurses eased her to lay back and redressed her wounds quickly. Her boys hugged her gently before leaving, fingers intertwined. Leia brushed her wet hair from her face and kissed her forehead.

“I’m here, when you need me, sweetie,” she whispered. Then turned to Luke. “Go easy on her, will you? It’s not as black and white as you sometimes think.”

“I know, Leia,” her brother replied, sighing.

“Ok, come to my office after.” With that, she left, picking up her clothes to change from the robe she wore after getting out of the ‘fresher. 

“Rey--.”

“I know, Master. I’m so sorry, I should’ve told as soon as it started but I was afraid you’d think I was weak and--.” She rushed out in one breath.

He held up a hand. “We will discuss this later. Right now, I must asses the situation.” He took a seat in the chair on her left. “Breathe. Feel the Force, open your mind to me.” She did as he told. If she wasn’t beyond exhaustion and injured it would’ve been a simple task but as it was, she broke out in a sweat trying to concentrate. “Good, good. Keep it open, keep breathing. I’m going in now.”

The first time Kylo entered her mind, on Starkiller Base, he pressed into her. It felt like suffocating. When they interacted in the in-between, at night mostly, it felt like swimming. Swimming in the ocean of another person’s mind; Kylo’s mind. Just minutes before, when he broadcasted his rage to her, it was a storm, tearing everything in its path. 

Now, with Luke, it was like when she rode the sand dunes down in her metal sled. It was easy, maybe even pleasant. She was at ease with his presence inside her, conscious that it was happening and accepting at the same time.

She felt him exploring, though he was respectful. When he found an area that had a small barrier, he moved on. These little barriers encased her private moments. When she cried herself to sleep as a child, when she got her first blood and thought she was dying, when she found herself aroused by a tall, dark man with a mask. Instead he saw her worries that she wouldn’t be a good enough Jedi to defeat Kylo Ren. He experienced her curiosity of Poe and Finn’s interlaced hands. He tasted her gratitude and affection for Leia and the motherly figure she was coming to step into. 

It could have been seconds or days that Luke sorted through her mind before he discovered the mess that was Rey and Kylo’s Force Bond. Through Luke’s eyes she saw what he saw. Saw where she had never dared to go before. 

Their connection was alive, it was a twisting, knotted, entangled ball of energy. There was light in the centre with the blackness covering it like a sheet with holes. She breathed a sigh of relief that his darkness had not shrouded her light yet. What intrigued her most was the parts where the shades mixed together to blend into a grey. It reminded her of the in-between landscapes they shared in their dreams when they neared each other and their aura would mix.

One thing she noticed was the absence of Kylo’s signature. Though he was only ever palpable, his spirit often felt tangible but right now, she felt neither. He had retreated. It was very unlike him to back down from a fight.

Just as she grew suspicious, she felt Luke pull away in a moment, yanking out of her mind. She screamed in pain. It was as if his presence had little hooks which snagged on her mind. If he had pulled back slowly, removing each hook meticulously, it wouldn’t have hurt, but he flew out in one pull and she felt the little hooks like daggers.

_ If you ever let him in your mind again, little girl, I will kill him. Be careful, my scavenger. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very happy with this chapter, but I want your feedback. Let me know what YOU liked. Disliked? Hated? Wanted? I'm all ears.
> 
> xx,  
> writing2savelives


	4. And All The Things I Couldn't Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some healing, some distrust and some monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm getting better. It's been exactly one month since I last updated but I hope this one really makes up for the lost time. Its over 4,000 words!! Yay(?)! 
> 
> So, obviously last time I updated was before TLJ came out. Now it's out (and I've seen it twice, holy shit I'm in love with everything about it, omg please tell me what you thought, please!) and we've got a whole lot more to play with! (Did anyone else think that it was basically a slow burn fanfic?) BUT, what I'm trying to say is that: yes, this fic is still continuing and I'm so excited to share it. From now on though, I guess you could say that it's "canon divergent" because I won't be following the plot of TLJ. I WILL be taking some ideas from the movie though. I've got a lot more insight into Kylo/Ben as a character which will only make this fic more rich.
> 
> Please stay for the journey and I hope you enjoy this next chapter<3

Two-thirds. 

The Resistance headcount had been just under two thousand on D’Qar. Now, on Ryloth as the nurse had told Rey, they were down to six hundred and fifty seven. That included all injured, banking that they recovered, which was a naïve hope.

Numbers were comforting to Rey. On Jakku, she always counted: sand dunes, footsteps, portions, days...

Now, confined to her infirmary bed, often alone, she turns to her trusty numbers: one thousand three hundred and twenty six dead, six hundred and fifty seven alive. Eight months since she’s felt Jakku’s sweltering sun, four days she’s been stuck in bed. Five friends who have visited, one enemy. Five friends she loves, one bondmate she doesn’t want. Five friends she can’t talk to, one man inside her head who just  _ knows _ . Four days she’s been awake, three nights she hasn’t slept. Three wounds on her body, one in her mind. Two siblings who speak in hushed voices around her bed, one young man whose voice booms loudly. One injured girl on stained bedsheets, one injured man kneeling on pristine black marble. One bond, one mind, one--.

“Rey?”

“ _ Wha--I--Finn? _ ” Whether she had fallen asleep or gotten lost in her mind, she knows not, only that a whispered tone she knows too well retreats slowly from her mind. Without delving into the Force, she knows that she’s had a moment of vulnerability and Kylo has seized this. She knows without checking that their tangled Force knot is slightly darker. She knows her light is shrinking. 

She’s so  _ tired _ .

“Rey, I’ve come to help you.” Finn’s soft voice reminds her to breathe.  _ Finn, her Peanut, her boy. _ “General Organa and Master Skywalker would like to talk to you in the General’s office.”

“O--ok.” Her voice cracks terribly and she presses her fingers to it, looking into his deep brown eyes apologetically.

“Rey, I…” He sits down on the side of her bed and folds his hands over her free one, presses heat into her frozen bones. The med bay is drafty. “You…” He stops, eyes searching the wall behind her, then gulps and looks back, a firmness in his pupils. “I talked to your nurse just now. Your wounds are almost healed, so you should be able to return to your training within the week, but Luke and Leia want to talk to you first. This battle has really dented our resources but more importantly it has struck fear into our army.” He pauses, sighing deeply. “Rey, the Resistance is losing hope. Without the support of the Republic and the surprise attack on our  _ secret, hidden  _ base, people need something to look towards. They need someone new, someone full of hope to replenish their spirits.”

A sinking feeling settles in her stomach. The cabbage water and veg-meat portion she was fed over twenty hours ago threatens to make itself visible on the floor of the med bay. She swallows with great effort and speaks her words slowly. “What can I do?” It's meant less as ‘what can I do?’ and more ‘what can  _ I  _ possibly do for the dying Resistance?’

But Finn smiles, not catching her insecurity. “I can’t answer that. I  _ can  _ help you get to get dressed, fed and rested for Master Skywalker and the General.”

She smiles back, hiding her rolling gut and pounding head.

Rey is more responsive to the food in the cafeteria after she’s been cleaned and the smell of her own days old sweat isn’t the only thing filling her nostrils. Finn piles her plate high while she focuses on one foot in front of the other. It gets easier faster than she would’ve anticipated after no exercise for five days. Finn tells her, “you’re a fucking Jedi! It doesn’t surprise me one bit,” and she laughs so hard her chest burns hurt.

They arrive before the lunch time rush, having best pick at the food and claiming a table hidden in the corner. When the rich, roasted taste of something Finn calls ‘caf’ hits her tongue, she believes she might’ve just fallen in love. It perks her right up so she calls it ‘magical caf’ from then on, refilling her cup twice more. By the end of their visit, she feels ten times stronger. 

On their walk to the General’s office, she takes in the base while Finn narrates. D’Qar and Ryloth are both located in the Outer Rim Territories so it was a logical planet to escape to,  _ fast _ . The native Twi’lek have historically been allies to the Light and the Rebellion. The base is mostly underground because of the dangerous animal species found on the surface of Ryloth. Though it is better than a rust bucket, the lack of natural sunlight is depressing. For seven months, organic, unfiltered light was all that was found on Ahch-To. Now, under fluorescents for five days Rey is coming to despise the bulbs and their harsh, ugly glow.

“Here,” Finn announces. Around the hallway, people wearing crisp suits and dresses carry binders and data pads. A thick metal door stares at Rey dauntingly. “I would come in but with the attack, security has been tightened and it’s entrance on an ‘only as needed’ basis.”

Her eyes are wild, skipping over Finn’s face, not really hearing his words. “Ok,” she hears herself say.

“Hey, hey. Calm down, Peanut.” He grasps her forearms, careful of the wrappings on her left shoulder. “Breathe, good. Listen, Luke and Leia, they believe in you. Remember that, they only think good of you.”

A nagging inside her mind combats this notion. After closer inspection, it is not her bondmate planting insecurities, but her own doubt. “I know. Thanks Finn,” she hugs him gently, keeping in her hiss of pain when he crushes her tight to his chest.

When they pull away, the fluorescent lights twinkle in his wide eyes and she’s reminded how hidden she is. Buried, trapped, caught. “There’s another door on the inside of this one, wait until they call you to go through it.” He catches her wandering eyes with his warm ones, “ok?”

She forces out a reassuring quirk of her lips. “Ok.”

Without another thought, she pushes past the metal.

The room beyond is stark and underwhelming. She sits in a hard chair close to the aforementioned second door. Now that she’s sat again, all her energy collects in her butt and she sags softly into the fractured wood appreciatively. 

Years of climbing sand, that horrible, shifting mineral, has strengthened her body. Even before training, her body had reflected her practice: calloused feet, toned calves, well-muscled thighs, skinny hips, cinched waist, visible four-pack abdominals, modest breasts, wired arms and rough hands. All earned from her scavenging. Nothing about her was soft; she was hard edges, sharp points and harsh skin. How would anyone ever want  _ her _ ? Finn had soft, cushioned palms that enveloped her own. Poe had used, yet large and warm hands. Of course they would want each other, but her, who would ever want her hard, worn-out body? She has always been on her own, and even now surrounded by the Resistance, that wouldn’t change.

_ You’re not alone. _

_ Fuck off, Kylo.  _ Quickly, she envisions a large blanket covering her previous  _ private  _ thoughts.

_ Those two boys, their relationship won’t last. Our  _ **_connection_ ** _ , our  _ **_gift_ ** _ , our  _ **_bond_ ** _ , will.  _ He was careful when planting his words in her mind, causing no pain, though his tone was smug and self-assured. 

_ Not if I have anything to do about it.  _ Where their arguments in the inbetween when she dreamt, had always been draining,and the forceful way he blew through her mind in the past days, this back and forth seemed to ignite energy in her muscles. Energy she hadn’t felt in days. 

_ Try your best, scavenger. I am stronger than you and the darkness in you is only spreading. _

_ Shut your mouth!  _ Anger sparked in her veins, and her body tensed like a bow, ready to shoot, to run.

_ Oh, little girl.  _ He chuckled deeply, the vibrations ringing in her chest as if he were really there with her and she was not seemingly conversing with a grey wall.  _ I’m not talking… _

And then, he retreated, leaving his signature stamped on her skin like a brand. With his absence, her mind felt absolute in its emptiness. 

She heard people talking.

A set of familiar familial voices trickled from under the second door. 

“--pressure would be too great, I fear. She’s still so young and inexperienced and this is new territory--I’m not sure I can control their connection. Leia, they are powerful alone, but together… I’ve never felt such…”

“Luke, this was your mistake last time, remember? Do not decide the future before it has presented itself.”

A deep sigh floated under the edge of the door. Defeat rang through it.

“I saw it, I saw their future.  _ Together _ , Leia, they were  _ together _ . There are only two ways this can go, and I’m not willing to risk the loss if she chooses the wrong path.”

“You think I am?”

“No--I…”

“We will proceed as discussed.”

“Leia it’s too risk--.”

“I love you, Luke, but sometimes you forget that I am General of the Resistance.”

Anger, hot and itchy climbed up her spine and spread through Rey’s head. Her fingers twitched violently on her thighs; these people she had fought for, hurt for, given up her home for, they were doubting her. How dare they question her motives when all she had ever shown them was loyalty. She didn’t  _ ask  _ to be bonded to their nefarious nephew and son. How dare they blame--.

“Rey?” She snapped her eyes to Luke who stood in the now open doorway. She glared at his poisonous tongue as he licked his lips once. “We’ll see you now.”

The General’s office was almost as empty as the waiting room. A few data pads and laser computers dotted the scarce surfaces but otherwise there was one large, clear conference table with scavenged chairs of different materials and sizes. She took the one directly across from the General and Luke the one next to his sister. Their image presented a united front despite that fact that Rey had heard them arguing mere seconds ago.

“Rey, dear,” the gravel voice of Leia spoke first. “How are you feeling?”

Rey took a moment to hide her emotions before answering truthfully. “I am feeling much better, thank you General. Finn helped me regain some energy.”

“Good. He’s a good boy, a good fighter. We’re lucky to have him.” Her words were slow and calculated and Rey hated it. She despised the wall of disconnect between them. If they didn’t trust her, then fine, she wouldn’t trust them either.

“Yes,” Rey answered with the same detachment. 

For a few moments, it seemed they were at an impasse. None of them willing to be the first the break the invisible barrier. Then Leia cleared her throat and looked pointedly at her brother’s lap. The twins share a moment of sibling telepathy, it seems, before Luke sighs in relent. 

A familiar sound reaches Rey’s ears before a familiar object is offered to her. The silver hilt of her blue lightsaber is extended to Rey from Luke in a mirror of their first meeting on the windy cliffs of Ahch-To. But it’s more than that; it’s the olive branch.

She accepts it physically but keeps herself cloaked from the Force like Luke taught her in the case that she ever needed to disguise her Force signature from another Force sensitive. She doubts he ever intended her to use this technique in this scenario.

“Thank you,” she submits.

A shimmer of relief passes over both the leaders’ faces, and Leia’s top lip twitches in a manner she has seen on a different face. “Rey, we called you here this afternoon to discuss the future.”

“I know.” 

A look reminiscent of another time and place flashes over the General’s face before she schools her expression, leaving Rey to wonder. “Then you also know how fragile the future is.” Rey cannot hold Leia’s eyes anymore so she fiddles with the weapon in her lap, looking at the table separating them. “The older generation has known this tyranny before, in the form of the Empire. We know the evil that power and passion can cause our galaxy, now under the name of the First Order.”

Rey finds the strength to raise her gaze again and reply, “On Jakku, there were stories of the Empire. It’s rise and fall. I may not have lived through it but I understand the similarity. I understand the severity of the time we live in and the rule we live under.”

Luke remains silent though she can almost  _ feel  _ his mind working. Leia answers. “I don’t doubt this. That is why you are here, with the Resistance, fighting for freedom. We appreciate your aid and assistance, gods know we need all the help we can get, and you especially bring something we lack greatly. A strong understanding of the Force. Rey, you are rare. Let me tell you this; you are unique and we need you, but…” Leia fades out, hand twirling in the air as if trying to act out the words she cannot find in her vocabulary. After several  moments of struggle, she looks to Luke.

“Rey, Leia and I have agreed, since I am your Jedi Master, that your skills are needed on a reconnaissance mission to the asteroid planet Polis Massa. Your Jedi training will be delayed until further notice.”

Silence.

All Rey hears is silence. A silence settles into her bones and then

anger.

“We have sent out distress calls to some of our old allies and we’ve had a response from a small, yet skilled band of rebels on this planet.” Leia is talking fast, rushing her words and if to press them quickly into Rey’s skin and calm her mood. The wall she used to block herself from the Force is gone. Her feelings are wide open and the other two Force sensitives in the room are starting to panic. “It’s only a day’s journey away, Poe Dameron will accompany you--.” Leia flinches at her choice of words.  _ Poe Dameron will accompany you--he’ll babysit you.  _

“Ok,” Rey grits through clenched teeth. Her calf muscles are twitching, ready to flee. She needs to  _ run _ . She needs  _ out  _ of this room. “If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll go lay down again. It seems I’m still not fully well yet and need a rest.” Her smile is tight. She knows if she looked in the mirror she would not recognize her reflection. “We’ll be in contact about the mission.”  _ Tick, tick, tick, _ the seconds drag on as the need to  _ leave  _ becomes  _ hot _ . “Thank you General. Master.”

And then she’s gone. 

Pushing past the slow moving people who just an hour ago seemed athletic in their movements. Just an hour ago, when she was crippled and wounded on her skin. Now, a wound deeper than the skin is tearing through her and everyone is  _ slow _ .

She can’t mutter apologies when she thrusts people into walls. Her mad dash to reach the surface, the outdoors, the air, is all consuming. 

But still it's not enough. She flies out the exit, legs burning, urging her  _ faster, faster, deeper, deeper  _ into the forest. The atmosphere is thick and humid but it’s heaven compared to the recycled oxygen she’s been breathing for days. The bright light of the sun blinds her for a few moments but she doesn’t stop-- _ can’t  _ stop.

She ignites her blue blade and slashes away the thick conifer branches, clearing a rough path. When her legs start to shake with the strain of her sprint she stops and whirls in jagged circles, cutting down any tree or plant she lays her eyes on. Her actions are a rugged, choppy imitation of her Jedi training forms. A time that seems years away in this frenzied moment. She doesn’t even notice the wide circle of destruction she’s created until her body gives out involuntarily and she falls ungracefully to the forest floor, crumpled in on herself, head between knees. 

Fat tears roll down her cheeks and ugly sobs wrench from her swollen throat. Everything hurts, she digs her shaking hands into moist soil and presses the nails of her fingers into her fleshy palms until she’s sure she drawn blood. Her head pounds with the afternoon’s events. 

Their words sting most of all. Whispered hurts when they thought she couldn’t hear. They discussed  _ her  _ life and  _ her  _ choices as is they were theirs to judge. As if the only thing that matters about her is how her mistakes have branded her. Their distrust and doubt burn harsher than Kylo’s unbridled red lightsaber. 

_ Kylo. _

Her mind is open and vulnerable and in a moment of desperation, she calls to the one person who will understand her pain without her ever having to utter a word. He’s her companion for now, whether she likes it or not and she needs him right now, whether she likes it or not. 

_ Kylo. _

And of course he answers, how could he not, but what surprises her is the feel of strong arms lifting her from the damp ground and into his open lap. 

Kylo’s broad back is propped against a sheared tree trunk, long legs spread before him. With one arm under her knees and another around her back, he arranges her so only her feet are touching the ground. Thighs practically touching her chest and leaning against his side, she’s folded neatly into him. Either from embarrassment or shock, she covers her face with dirty hands, hiding her tear stained cheeks and red puffy eyes. The salt tracks don’t halt though, much to her disappointment. If anything, she cries harder, letting out wailing sobs that scare the birds near into flight. 

He doesn’t speak, just tucks her head under his chin, rubs her back with his right arm and massages soothing patterns into her right thigh with his other hand. Mortified, she burrows deeper into his wide warmth. His body is strong under her and she appreciates this more than she should. 

Slowly, her sobs become irregular, turning to erratic hiccups. The despairing fog clears, leaving her to face the male reality that is whispering in her ear.

“...my girl, my Rey, so soft, so hurt. I’m here, you’re not alone. I’m here with you my sweet, sweet girl.” Sense has washed away with her salt tears. She should push him away. She should curse him for putting his hands on her, for calling her his. She should run back to the Resistance base, shut herself off from the Force until she finds a way to sever their bond and wash her skin raw to get rid of his touch.

That is what she should do. It isn’t what she does. 

“Kylo?” Her voice cracks painfully, her vocal cords sore and pulsing.

He answers by gently prying her mud caked hands from her face. He tilts her chin to his face him, locking her eyes with his dark ones. She loses herself in the swirling chocolate. Warmth washes over her, red blooms on her cheeks, chest and she’s suddenly not so cold. 

“W-what is...this?” She feels like a babbling baby, cradled to his chest and stumbling over her words but he’s  _ here _ . How is he with her, touching her, holding her?

“This is our gift.” His reply is cryptic and she doesn’t know why she expected a solid answer.

“You’re lying.” Frustration taints her voice.

“Rey,” she’s acutely aware that they haven’t broken eye contact since he removed her hands from her face. “I have never lied to you.” 

The humid air of the forest is making her sweat. Yes, its the forest, for sure.

“I-I can’t--no, no,  _ no! _ ” His arms are too tight, his chest too warm, his gaze too intense.

“Yes, Rey, yes you can!” His grip tightens, thumb and forefinger digging painfully into her jaw to force her to keep their eyes locked. There’s a spark behind his retina that scares and excites her. “Don’t fight it, my girl, you’ll only hurt yourself.” He leans forward to press a kiss on her sweaty forehead, reminding her of the violent way he ripped through her mind when she resisted him in the shower with Leia.

Still she holds onto her fear. “I won’t accept this. Never.” The words don’t translate the way she wants, her voice shaky and crackling.

He sighs, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. “Gods, you’re dirty. Blood and mud,  _ Force _ , why’d you do that? Hmm, my scavenger? Why’d you hurt yourself?” 

She can’t move while he licks his thumb and proceeds to clean her face of grime. The wet brush is sinful on her stained skin so she focuses on anything but that. His broad shoulders fill out a soft black shirt, a narrow V collars exposes his hard pectorals and short sleeves show scarred, pale, corded arms. His pants are thin beneath her butt and she blushes more.

“Were you sleeping?” She blurts out the question involuntarily.

“Well, some of us appreciate a good night’s rest.” Again his fingers dig into her jaw sharply, catching her wandering stare. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your ridiculous refusal to rest. I am not impressed.”

“I don’t care what you think.” Her response is automatic but she knows she’s lying.

“Of course you do,” he sees right through her untruth. “You’re the one who called me here, after all.”

“I did not!”

“As I said, I’ve never lied to you, it would do you good to do the same, scavenger.”

He admonishes her like a parent scolding their child, furthermore building on her baby scenario. She shouldn’t care what he wants, what he tells her to do and what not to, but she feels as if she’s betraying him when her lips form dishonest words again. 

So, she closes her mouth.

He smiles genuinely down at her. “You  _ did  _ call me, I heard it as clear as if you were in my bed with me.” His imagery makes her wrinkle her nose. “Rey, you pulled me from sleep. You pulled me from sleep, from my bed and into your location.” Alarm lights her eyes.  _ No! He can’t know where they are, oh how stupid, she _ \--. “No, my girl, I can’t see your surroundings. Only you.”

She calms slightly. “Well, I didn’t mean to.”

“I thought we decided against dishonesty.”

“Stop talking to me like I’m a child!”

“Then stop acting like one! I know you, Rey. You’re strong, and mature. You’re my equal, my balance in the galaxy  _ and  _ the Force. You’re beautiful and you belong at my side, always. I won’t have you hiding from the truth like a scared juvenile!”

“Fine, ok! I called to you because I was angry and alone and afraid and I knew that you would come because you’ve never left me. You’re always there, even when I don’t want you but in that moment I wanted you! I needed you.” She clutches fistfuls of his shirt, hauling him closer and closer until she’s shouting in his face.

“Good,” he praises, right hand sliding from her waist to comb into her hair. He pulls, exposing her throat to him and bends to press a kiss on her pulse point. She shivers and swallows a sound suspiciously like a moan. “Good girl.” Kylo’s mouth continues to just under her jaw, crooked teeth nipping in a way she never knew could be delightful. “My good girl.” Rey frees a long sigh and Kylo releases her hair enough for her to look at him and not the tall treed forest. He’s leaning to her, guiding her head closer at the same time and they’re both watching each other’s lips. His are twitching, red and plump.

“Please…” she mumbles. Their lips are centimeters away. “Please don’t kiss me.”

He pauses. His pupils are blown, almost hiding the chocolate completely. “Are you being honest with me?”

Thinking is harder than walking through a sand storm. Her thoughts form slower than the days passed on Jakku. “I...I want--.”

A low roar pierces their bubble. Panic ignites her and the bond closes with a snap, leaving her on the wet dirt to stare into the yellow eyes of a hungry beast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo close...
> 
> So, yeah, they almost kissed. Again. Sorry (not sorry). 
> 
> Timeline for their Force bond:  
> -Started training with Luke 8 months ago  
> -connected with Kylo, Force bond formed 6 months into training or 2 months ago  
> -they can immediately converse in their dreams at night, in a landscape only lit by their light and dark auras  
> -6 days ago, Kylo reads her thoughts when they meet each other on D'Qar  
> -later that day, 6 days ago, he trapped her in the ocean-like, grey "in between"  
> -4 days ago, they talk through their minds  
> -now they Force Time!!!! (like in TLJ)
> 
> What's next? Their bond is only getting stronger like Kylo said...
> 
> Please go easy on my planet/universe knowledge. I did my research, I swear! Here are some links to the Wookieepedia on the two planets mentioned: Ryloth: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ryloth  
> and Polis Massa: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Polis_Massa
> 
> Also, this is a slow burn fic with an explicit rating. We will get there, have faith in me. Kylo is an asshole is this fic. He may or may not be redeemable (you'll have to read), but he's definitely a manipulative asshole. Keep that in mind...
> 
> Also, you should listen to the song this fic is named after, "Together" by The XX: https://youtu.be/yoj2I6ZJLx8 It's great and it's what first gave me the inspiration. I listen to it on repeat while writing this fic. Also, I listened to "Love On The Brain" by Rihanna for this chapter and "Atlantis" by Seafret.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought, that was a long chapter, phew!  
> xx,   
> writing2savelives


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